11
Insalela Yako-Israyeli
1 Lapho-ke ngiyabuza ngithi: Kanti uNkulunkulu wabalahla yini abantu bakhe? Hatshi akunjalo! Mina uqobo ngingumʼIsrayeli inzalo ka-Abhrahama, owesizwana sikaBhenjamini. 2 UNkulunkulu kabalahlanga abantu bakhe abazi kuqala. Kalikwazi yini ukuthi uMbhalo uthini esahlukwaneni ngo-Elija, ukuthi wakhalaza njani kuNkulunkulu esola u-Israyeli esithi: 3 “Nkosi, bababulele abaphrofethi bakho, badiliza lama-alithare akho; yimi ngedwa engiseleyo, njalo bafuna ukungibulala?”* 4 Impendulo kaNkulunkulu kuye yathini na? Yathi, “Ngizigodlele mina ngokwami abazinkulungwane eziyisikhombisa abangamkhothamelanga uBhali.”† 5 Ngakho futhi, ngalesisikhathi kulensalela ezakhethwa ngomusa. 6 Njalo nxa kungomusa, ngakho akuseyikho ngemisebenzi; nxa kwakunjalo, umusa wawungeke ube usaba ngumusa.
7 Pho-ke? Lokho u-Israyeli akufuna ngokuzimisela kakuzuzanga, kodwa abakhethiweyo bakuthola. Abanye baba lukhuni, 8 njengoba kulotshiwe ukuthi:
“UNkulunkulu wabanika umoya wokozela,
lamehlo ukuze bangaboni,
lendlebe ukuze bangezwa,
kuze kube lamhla.”‡
9 Njalo uDavida uthi:
“Sengathi itafula yabo ingaba ngumjibila lesifu,
isikhubekiso kanye lesijeziso kubo.
10 Sengathi amehlo abo angafiphala ukuze bangaboni,
lamaqolo abo akhokhobe kokuphela.”§
Amagatsha Axhunyelelweyo
11 Ngiyabuza njalo ngithi: Kambe bangabe bakhubeka bawa okungangokuthi kakuselakuphepha na? Akunjalo! Kodwa ngenxa yesiphambeko sabo, ukusindiswa sekufikile kwabeZizwe ukuba kwenze u-Israyeli abe lomona. 12 Kodwa nxa isiphambeko sabo sisitsho inotho emhlabeni, lencithakalo yabo isitsho inotho kwabeZizwe, inkulu kangakanani inotho elethwa yikuphelela kwabo!
13 Ngikhuluma lani lina abeZizwe. Njengoba ngingumpostoli wabezizwe, ngikhulisa inkonzo yami 14 ngethemba lokuthi mhlawumbe ngingavusa umona ebantwini bakithi ngisilise abanye babo. 15 Ngoba nxa ukulahlwa kwabo kuyikubuyisana komhlaba, ukwamukelwa kwabo kuzakuba yini na ngaphandle kokuphila okuvela kwabafileyo? 16 Nxa ingxenye yenhlama enikelwe njengezithelo zakuqala ingcwele, injalo yonke enye; nxa impande zingcwele, zinjalo lezingatsha.
17 Nxa ezinye ingatsha zephulwe, njalo wena, lanxa ulihlumela lomʼoliva weganga, usuxhunyelelwe phakathi kwezinye njalo usuhlanganyela emhluzini okhulisayo ovela empandeni zomʼoliva, 18 ungazincomi ngalezongatsha. Nxa ukwenza, cabanga ngalokhu: Impande kakusuwe oyithwalayo, kodwa impande yiyo ekuthweleyo. 19 Lapho-ke lina lizakuthi, “Ingatsha zephulwa ukuze mina ngixhunyelelwe.” 20 Yebo. Kodwa zephulwa ngenxa yokungakholwa, kodwa lina limi ngokukholwa. Lingazikhukhumezi, kodwa yesabani. 21 Ngoba nxa uNkulunkulu engaziyekelanga ingatsha zemvelo, lani kasoze aliyekele.
22 Ngakho cabangani ngesisa njalo lobulukhuni bukaNkulunkulu: ubulukhuni kulabo abawayo, kodwa isisa kini, nxa liqhubeka esiseni sakhe. Kungenjalo, lani lizaqunywa. 23 Njalo nxa bengaphikeleli ngokungakholwa, bazaxhunyelelwa, ngoba uNkulunkulu uyenelisa ukubaxhumelela futhi. 24 Phezu kwalokho, nxa laliqunywe esihlahleni somʼoliva weganga ngemvelo, kwathi ngokuphambene lemvelo laxhunyelelwa esihlahleni se-oliva esilinywayo, pho kuzakuba lula kakhulu okunjani kulezi, ingatsha zemvelo, ukuba zixhunyelelwe esihlahleni sazo se-oliva.
U-Israyeli Wonke Uzasindiswa
25 Bazalwane, kangifuni ukuthi lingaze lazi ngale imfihlakalo, ukuze lingazikhukhumezi: U-Israyeli useyibonile ingxenye yokuba lukhuni inani elipheleleyo labeZizwe lize lingene. 26 Ngokunjalo u-Israyeli wonke uzasindiswa, njengoba kulotshiwe ukuthi:
“Umkhululi uzafika eZiyoni:
uzasusa kuJakhobe ukungakholwa.
27 Lesi yisivumelwano sami labo
lapho ngizisusa izono zabo.”*
28 Mayelana levangeli, bayizitha ngenxa yenu; kodwa mayelana lokukhetha, bayathandwa ngenxa yabokhokho, 29 ngoba izipho zikaNkulunkulu lokubiza kwakhe akuguquleki. 30 Njengoba lina elake ladelela uNkulunkulu khathesi selamukele umusa ngenxa yokudelela kwabo, 31 ngokunjalo labo, ngenxa yomusa kaNkulunkulu kini, kabasalaleli ukuze labo khathesi bamukele umusa. 32 Ngoba uNkulunkulu ubophele abantu bonke ekudeleleni ukuze abe lomusa kubo bonke.
Ihubo Lokubonga
33 Yeka ukuzika kwenotho yenhlakanipho kanye lokwazi kukaNkulunkulu!
Yeka ukwahlulela kwakhe okungeke kuhlolwe,
kanye lezindlela zakhe ezingeke zilandelwe!
34 “Ngubani owake wayazi ingqondo yeNkosi na?
Loba owake waba ngumcebisi wayo na?”†
35 “Ngubani owake wanika uNkulunkulu
ulutho ukuba uNkulunkulu aluhlawule na?”‡
36 Ngoba izinto zonke zivela kuye langaye njalo futhi zikuye.
Udumo kalube kuye kuze kube laphakade! Ameni.
* 11:3 1 Amakhosi 19.10, 14 † 11:4 1 Amakhosi 19.18 ‡ 11:8 UDutheronomi 29.4; U-Isaya 29.10 § 11:10 AmaHubo 69.22-23 * 11:27 U-Isaya 59.20-21; 27.9; UJeremiya 31.33-34 † 11:34 U-Isaya 40.13 ‡ 11:35 UJobe 41.11